Immigration

Visitor Visa/ ETAWork while StudyingWork On-CampusWorking Off-CampusLMIAs / Work PermitsStudy Permits and Visas

A temporary resident / visitor visa is an official document stamped in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to travel to Canada.

Most people need a visa OR an Electronic Travel Authorization to travel to Canada – not both. Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. At the port of entry, the border services officer may allow you to stay for less or more than 6 months. If so, they’ll put the date you need to leave by in your passport. They might also give you a document, called a visitor record, which will show the date you need to leave by.

If you don’t get a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months from the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

You must meet some basic requirements to travel to Canada. You must:

 Have a valid travel document, like a passport

 Be in good health

 Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions

 Convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country

 Convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit

 Have enough money for your stay.

 The amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.

Most people need a work permit to work in Canada.

Work while Studying

International students with a valid study permit may work while studying in Canada without a work permit.

International students with a valid study permit may work while studying in Canada without a work permit. Spouses/Common-law partners of foreign students can also work in Canada while their spouse is studying. The spouse can apply for an Open Work Permit which allows them to work in any job without restriction.

Student can work on school campus, without a work permit, if student:

• is a full-time post-secondary student at a:

1. public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
2. private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants, or
3. Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law

• has a valid study permit, and
• has a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

 

An “on-campus” employer can be:

 the school

 a faculty member

 a student organization

 yourself, if:

you run a business that is physically located on-campus (for example: you own a coffee shop that is located on campus)

 a private business

 a private contractor that provides on-campus services to the school

Students can only start working in Canada when they start their study program and not before the studies begin.

Students can work off-campus, without a work permit, if they meet all of these requirements:

•  a valid study permit that includes a condition that says you can work off-campus
•  a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)

 enrolled in a:

• post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program, or secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
•  started studying
•  the study program is at least 6 months long, and
• leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
• have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

A part-time student can work off-campus only if meet all of the requirements above and only studying part-time, instead of full-time, because the student:

•  is in the last semester of the study program
•  was a full-time student in the program in Canada, up until the last semester
•  does not need a full course load to complete your program

Permitted hours of work off-campus.

During regular school semesters:

 up to 20 hours

During scheduled breaks, like during winter and summer holidays:

 work full-time

There are 2 types of work permits: open work permits and employer-specific work permits.

Most people need a work permit to work in Canada. There are 2 types of work permits: open work permits and employer-specific work permits.

Open work permits

An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada.

You can only get an open work permit in specific situations, for example if you are:

•  Are an international student who graduated from a designated learning institution and are eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
•  Are a student who’s no longer able to meet the costs of your studies (destitute student)
•  Applied for permanent residence in Canada
•  Are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence
•  Are the spouse or common-law partner of a skilled worker or international student

Employer-specific work permits

An employer-specific work permit allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which include:

 The name of the employer you can work for

 How long you can work

 The location where you can work

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.

To apply for a work permit, a worker needs:

 A job offer letter

 A contract

 A copy of the LMIA

 The LMIA number

Foreign nationals can study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada.

The study permit is a document that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Your study permit is not a visa. It alone doesn’t allow you to enter Canada. You may also need a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).

A study permit is usually valid for the length of your study program, plus an extra 90 days. This extra time lets you prepare to leave Canada or apply to extend your stay.

 If you can’t finish your courses before the date on your permit, you must apply to extend your stay as a student.

 If you finish your studies early, your permit will stop being valid 90 days after you complete your studies (no matter what day is printed on the study permit).

You have completed your studies either

•  On the date you get the first notification from your school (such as an email, letter, transcript, etc.) or
•  When you get your degree, diploma or certificate.

If your school asked you to take some courses before they will accept you into the main program (conditional acceptance), Your study permit will only be issued for the length of these courses. When you get accepted into the main program, you can apply to extend your stay as student from within Canada.

To study in Canada each candidate must

 Enroll at a designated learning institution (DLI)

 Show proof that have enough money to pay for:

 Tuition fees

 Living expenses

 Return transportation

 Obey the law, have no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada.

 Be in good health.

 Convince an immigration officer that he will leave Canada at the end of the studies.

ImmigrateFederal Skilled WorkerCanadian Experience ClassProvincial Nominee ProgramsFamily Class Sponsorship

Find out your options for permanent residence in Canada

Express Entry

With this residence you will benefit from fast processing times of approximately six months.

If you are invited to apply for permanent residence under Express Entry, you will benefit from fast processing times of  approximately six months.. Express Entry is used to manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

 The Federal Skilled Worker Program

 The Federal Skilled Trades Program

 The Canadian Experience Class

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

You will be given a score to determine your place in the Express Entry pool using a Comprehensive Ranking System. This system includes factors known to contribute to economic success (such as language, education and work experience).

There are regular rounds of invitations to apply for permanent residence sent to candidates in the Express Entry pool. Candidates with the highest scores will be invited to apply. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence under Express Entry, you will benefit from fast processing times of approximately six months.

Residence for people with skilled work experience in managerial, professional and technical jobs.

This program has minimum requirements for:

 At least 1 year of full-time continuous skilled work experience in Managerial jobs (skill type 0), Professional jobs (skill level A), Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

 Language ability (minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities)

 Education

 

You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible. Your application is assessed based on:

 Age

 Education

 Work experience

 Whether you have a valid job offer

 English and/or French language skills

 Adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

Candidates in this category must have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada.

Candidates in this category must have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before they apply. The applicants must have gained work experience by working in Canada legally and meet the language ability requirements in this category.

 

Canadian Experience Class applications were managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Since 2015, however, Canadian Experience Class applications are processed under the Express Entry immigration selection system.

The candidate must want to live in a specific province, and want to become permanent residents of Canada.

 

This program is for candidates with skills, education and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory. The candidate must also want to live in that province, and want to become permanent residents of Canada.

 

Each province and territory has its own “streams” (immigration programs that target certain groups) and requirements. For example, in a program stream, provinces and territories may target, students, business people or skilled workers.

Family class immigrants are people sponsored to come to, or remain in Canada by a Canadian relative.

Family Class immigrants are people sponsored to come to, or remain in Canada by a relative who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.

 

You may be able to sponsor spouses or common-law partners who want to become permanent residents of Canada if they live outside of Canada or if they live in Canada with you and have legal immigration status; for example temporary worker or visitor.

 

You, as the sponsor, must meet certain eligibility criteria, and the people you sponsor must also meet some eligibility factors.

 

You may be able to sponsor your parents and grandparents to become a permanent resident if you’re at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

 

If you sponsor your parents and grandparents to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must support them financially, make sure they don’t need social assistance from the government, and provide for your own essential needs and those of your parents and grandparents.

Self-employedBusiness and Investor Immigration

Candidates must make a significant contribution in Canada with cultural activities or athletics.

 

A self-employed person is a foreign national who has relevant experience and has the intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada and to make a significant contribution in Canada to one of the following:

 

 Cultural activities

 Athletics

 

The phrase “cultural activities” covers a lot of professions and occupations.  It includes musicians, artists, film makers, journalists, illustrators and so forth. Aside from athletes, this class also includes referees, coaches and trainers. There is no regulated minimum net worth requirement. However, you will have to satisfy a visa officer that you have enough money to settle in Canada with your dependents and finance the work on which your selection was based.

Each province may run different programs at during the year based on their needs and goals

Provincial Nominees

While immigration to Canada is mostly the jurisdiction of the Federal Government in Canada, each of Canada’s provinces has its own small immigration program whereby the provincial government can nominate individuals for immigration to their province based on their own specific criteria.

Investors and Business PNPs include:

 British Columbia

 Quebec

 Manitoba

 New Brunswick

 Ontario

 Prince Edward Island

 Saskatchewan

 Yukon

 North West Territories

In general, most PNPs set minimum investment amounts for applicants. Eligible candidates must also meet specified minimum net worth or revenue generation thresholds. Some PNPs require applicants to demonstrate business success in Canada as a condition for permanent residency nomination.

Each province may run different programs at during the year based on their needs and goals. Program requirements vary widely and are subject to change at any time. To find out more about various provincial programs and to assess your qualifications, please contact us.

Significant Benefit Entrepreneur Work Permit

Significant Benefit Entrepreneur work permits are available to candidates who are starting a new business or purchasing an existing business in Canada. Applicants should own at least 50% of the shares of the business. Candidates must demonstrate that their admission to Canada to operate their business would generate significant economic, social or cultural benefits or opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, such as job creation, expansion of export trade, technological advancements, innovation or skills development of Canadians.

Examples of Significant benefit:

 general economic stimulus (such as job creation, development in a regional or remote setting or expansion of export markets for Canadian products and services);

 advancement of the Canadian industry (such as technological development, product or service innovation or differentiation or opportunities for improving the skills of Canadians)

Candidates can then obtain points towards their Permanent residency express entry applications.

Owner-Operator Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

Owner-Operator LMIAs are available to persons who are starting a new business or purchasing an existing business in Canada. Applicants should hold senior management positions and cannot be dismissed and must have a controlling interest in the business (i.e., own greater than 50% of the shares). Candidates can then obtain points towards their Permanent residency express entry applications